The 38th Honolulu City Lights and all of its joyful festivities are back for a full, in-person celebration this Saturday.
Shaka Santa and Tutu Mele are already in place, seated solidly at the Honolulu Hale fountain with their bare feet and permanent smiles, setting the tone for the holiday season.
Today, Mayor Rick Blangiardi and longtime Honolulu City Lights Parade Coordinator Eddie Oi will top the city’s 55-foot holiday tree — a Cook pine situated on Honolulu Hale’s front lawn — with its signature star.
The monthlong celebration at the site kicks off with a block party at 4 p.m. Saturday on Punchbowl Street and across the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds, according to city officials. Then at 6:15 p.m., as the Public Workers’ Electric Light Parade — which is back after a two-year hiatus — passes City Hall, Blangiardi will flip a switch, illuminating the holiday tree along with the other lights and displays decorating the grounds.
The Electric Light Parade, which is celebrating its 30th year, begins at 6 p.m. at Aala Park and will feature dozens of vehicles, floats, marching bands and, of course, Santa on his sleigh. It’s slated to proceed along King Street, ending at Kawaiahao Street. Officials warn of traffic detours, street closures and parking restrictions throughout Chinatown and downtown Honolulu during the parade.
Notably, starting at 4:30 p.m., three mauka lanes on South King Street — from Alapai Street to Ward Avenue — and two lanes of South Street — from Kapiolani Boulevard to Queen Street — will be closed. King Street will close progressively along the parade route and reopen progressively, except for the section from Punchbowl Street to the intersection at Alapai and South King streets, which will remain closed until 10 p.m. for street sweeping and crowd control purposes.
TheBus routes affected by the parade will be detoured, with more information available at thebus.org or 808-848-5555.
Other opening night festivities Saturday include the opportunity to visit with Santa in Santa’s Village inside the historic Mission Memorial Auditorium, and musical entertainment by Crossing Rain, Ei Nei, Nesian N.I.N.E. and Sean Na‘auao &Friends.
The city employee Christmas tree exhibition will be on display in the Honolulu Hale courtyard, and the wreath contest exhibition will be in the Lane Gallery.
The free event is sponsored by the City and County of Honolulu and Friends of Honolulu City Lights.
Oi, from the city’s Department of Customer Services, who has been working behind the scenes as parade coordinator for decades, will retire at the end of the year after 45 years of service.
Following the opening night celebration Saturday, Honolulu City Lights will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily through New Year’s Eve. More information is available at hnlcitylights.org.
